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Science Friday (PART ONE): Disappearing Steelhead – The Fate of Summer Steelhead Seeking Coldwater in the Columbia and Snake Rivers

In Science Friday by Gary Marston

In the Columbia and Snake rivers hydropower systems, many migrating summer steelhead overshoot their spawning streams, passing dams multiple times and increasing mortality rates, trying to find cold water refuge. We look at the ramifications on steelhead management for not properly accounting for these overshoot steelhead.

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It’s Time for Bold Action

In Snake River by Jonathan Stumpf

Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) has stepped up to lead toward a more optimistic future for the entire Snake River basin. Rep. Simpson laid out a proposal that would create new clean energy sources, build new infrastructure, and ensure the needs of local communities, irrigators and shippers are met. The proposal would also restore runs of healthy, harvestable Snake River salmon and steelhead by removing the lower four Snake River dams. 

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Lower Snake plan: An opportunity, not a solution

In Idaho by Shauna Sherard

Last month, the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, and Bonneville Power Administration released the final environmental impact statement for future operations of the Columbia River System, including four dams on the Lower Snake River.

Snake River Steelhead Recovery Plan Released by NOAA

In Idaho by Nick Chambers

By Rob Masonis   The recent release of the final federal recovery plan for Snake River Spring/Summer Chinook salmon and steelhead is a milestone in the decades-long effort to reverse the precipitous decline of salmon and steelhead runs in the Snake River system. The Snake was historically the most productive region in the Columbia Basin for spring/summer chinook and steelhead, …

Science Friday: Behavioral Thermoregulation

In Science Friday by Nick Chambers

Most steelhead anglers know that the family of fishes called salmonidae (trout, char, salmon and whitefish) are highly sensitive to water temperature and quality. These fishes require cold, clean water to thrive. But what happens to them when water temps become unfavorable? As you might expect, they seek out places in the river that regain cool water — now often …